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Language of gods sparks off divine debate in TN assembly

What is the language of the gods -- Tamil, Sanskrit, or both?

This triggered off a lively discussion in the Tamil Nadu assembly today when members sought to move a special call attention motion over a writ petition filed in the Madras high court seeking continuance of Sanskrit for performance of archanas (prayers) in the state's famous temples.

Gods would not dislike archanas in "sweet Tamil", state education minister K Anbazhagan remarked.

When Tamil Maanila Congress legislators C Gnanasekaran and S Alagiri took exception to Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister Dr M Tamizhkudimagan's observation that there was no need for gods who did not want to listen to Tamil, the minister clarified that he had made the remark only when he learnt about the writ petition which had stated that Devanagiri alone was the language of communication according to the Agamas.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi intervened to state that he was in total accordance with Dr Tamizhkudimagan.

At this stage, leader of the opposition S Balakrishnan, reminded that according to the Dravidian ideology, atheists should desist from talking about religious practices. Karunanidhi was quick to retort that "atheism is a principle and performing temple archanas in Tamil is a fundamental right".

The minister said the Tamil archanas were compiled by a high-level committee of religious Saivite and Vaishnavite scholars and cleared by heads of mutts and traditional temple singers.

Dr Tamizhkudimagan wondered whether the mother tongue of those who wanted to avoid performance of Tamil archanas was indeed Tamil.

Unattached member, Prof Dheeran, alleged that there was a politically motivated campaign to avoid the use of Tamil in temple archanas. V S Srikumar Sharma, who had filed the writ petition in the high court, was the same person who had challenged the then DMK government's order in 1971 allowing persons hailing from all the castes to become archakas (priests) in temples. The order had been upheld by the high court, but quashed by the Supreme Court, he recalled.

When pujas were performed in Tamil in South Africa, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, why could it not be used in temples of Tamil Nadu, he asked.

UNI

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